1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and more particularly to a computerized automated fixture set up system for automating the design of the fixture.
2. Discussion
Fixtures are common throughout the automobile industry. They are typically used to hold in place car parts for workmanship or quality checks. Different fixtures are assembled to suit the individual geometry of each type of car part. When a car part is redesigned (for example, due to yearly car model changes), so too must the fixture that holds the car part in place be redesigned.
Current fixture design practice is painstaking and laborious in nature. A typical fixture redesign may take two weeks of design effort due to the number of fixture design factors involved. For example, the fixture design factors entail providing enough of a clamp opening to allow clearance for inserting and removing of the part from the fixture assembly, while also keeping the car part from interfering with the other components of the fixture.
Moreover, if the fixture designer wishes to select a different fixture component to resolve a discovered interference condition, the different fixture component may produce new interference conditions. This will necessitate further redesigns and results in the fixture building process to take a long time, such as several weeks.